May 22, 2012

The Shift in Training

Your business may well be investing in training but has it taken “The Shift “into account? In her book The Shift: The Future of Work is Already Here, acclaimed author and global authority on the people implications of strategies Lynda Gratton says, there have been three shifts that businesses need to embrace in order to be a success.

The first shift manifests itself in a change from a generalized to specialized approach. As the world becomes increasingly connected in the 21st Century, having a small amount of knowledge about a lot of subjects gives next to no competitive edge to a business. In contrast, a workforce with a depth of knowledge on a specific area will be able to offer insights and points of view which will keep them ahead of the rest of the field.

People who can become serial masters are well-equipped to be both happy and successful in their careers. Serial masters’ working lives can revolve around a core of highly valuable skills that they love. These can be used as a gateway to rediscovering lost passions, reforming initial ideas into new mastery or spinning off into new paths.

Last year one of the most interesting ideas that came out of the Future of Work Consortium was that by 2020, five billion people will be connected with each other through their handheld devices.

The second shift, which sees a move from an individual outlook to connected networks means people who share information are far more likely to succeed than those who soldier on alone.

In the future, “swarms” of people will work together on things they are passionate about. A well-connected company will be prepared to work as a team to sting competitors and dominate the market.

The final shift comes as a result of businesses placing more importance on developing their employees’ quality of life, rather than just focussing on their standards of living. Since the 1970’s, South Asian country Bhutan has used GNH (Global National Happiness) as an indicator to guide the country’s development. When the plan was being implemented, the King of Bhutan resigned in order to allow democratic elections to take place and make the country a happier place. While senior management staff stepping down may be a step too far, they certainly have to take the lead in setting a co-operative culture.

Lynda Gratton will address these topics in a complimentary 45 minute webinar. Lynda’s discussion kicks off at 12 p.m. BST (British Summer Time) on Wednesday May 23rd and is followed by an interactive Q&A. To register completely free of charge, please click here.